EVE General Discussion

Hi All,

I had a skill idea; I expect it to get shot down in flames; and it might not even be an original idea but here goes:

Firstly let me say that I have no gripes with the game, it's a unique experience that I enjoy playing.

Secondly I'd like to make it clear that I don't think the skill system is broken. I like the fact that there is no need for long boring grinds for experience points.

The thing I think should be addressed however is the vast general advantage old characters have over newer characters. They have more experience, more tactics, more knowledge, more ISK and more skillpoints. They can fly and fit better ships, and fly those ships more effectively whether in combat, mining or hauling.

It's got to be a bit of a put-off for a new player, or even an alt used to try a different career. Yes you can have fun; but in order to be anywhere near competitive you are going to have to sit around for a few months slowly accumulating ISK and skills to fly that Charon or whatever ship of your dreams. Then you'll have to wait around for a few more months before you can actually fly it effectively enough to really start reaping the benefits of your dream career. Worse still, you get your Charon and then decide hauling ain't your thing so you start the process all over again in another career! And the months roll on, attention spans dwindle people drift away yada yada.

Anyway, I expect my above ramblings is news to nobody who has spent more than 5 minutes playing the game. So my idea is that every month average skillpoints for the main characters (highest skillpoints) for every subscribed account is worked out. Every account below average gets double skillpoints until the next month. Everyone above the average gains skills as normal.

Low skill characters become more effective more quickly, and new players get to try out several careers more deeply and more quickly as they so choose. Alts could become more effective for people who like to specialise in numerous careers without having to sit around for ages.

High skill players get more challenging opponents, but retain their advantages in ISK, tactics and experience. Noobs aren't going to suddenly gain hundreds of millions of skillpoints but it might just level the playing field a bit.

It's just an idea, so feel free to tell me how you would all quit if it were ever implemented!

TL;DR Below average characters gain skillpoints twice as fast as above average characters!

Yaaay, lets penalize our longest paying customers...... That sure sounds like a great business model.


Look, we were all low skill point players at one time, but we put in the time and now we have skills. Just learn a little patience and you will be a high level player one day.

And, the long time players,.... well some of those will burn out or take breaks, or simply stop playing, then one day you will become that awsome high level player, the envy of all the noobs, and you too will probably realize how amazing and balanced the skill point system is in a world of grind for exp MMOs, and flame someone like the '2012-you' on the forums.

Let me think about this...


















NO!

Also, its not the size that matters (of your SP) but what you do with it.

Everyone will just roll new characters on their current accounts to train T3 cruiser alts before switching training back to their mains.

I agree the SP system is a bit punishing for new players but giving them 2x SP bonuses isn't the solution. I think certain basic skills should have their requirements reduced though. The main culprits that spring to mind are Cruisers requiring Frigates 4. I think that should be reduced to Frigates 3 to allow new players to keep momentum with their training and another big one is Tech 2 armour mods needing Hull Upgrades 5. For a new player who wants T2 hardeners, they have to wait around 10 days with no improvements to their awful skill sets whatsoever (while shield tankers get T2 hardeners in about 4 days with so many tanking skills available to allow them to receive constant rewards while training). This is quite frustrating for new players. I'd say T2 armour modules should only have Hull Upgrades 4 as their prerequisite.

Why?older players had to wait, why shouldn't everyone else?

...

The idea that Skill points are the win all-be all is bullshit.

A new player can rock an older player with more SP if they know what they're doing. There is definitely an advantage, but that's the advantage of PLAYING FOR SEVEN YEARS STRAIGHT.

Most of these guys have hit the nail on the head.

I take low SP people out PVP roaming all the time against higher SP and better shipped pilots. We typically come out ahead. There are just as many high Skillpoint morons out there as there are low skillpoint morons.

Find you a veteran... learn from them. This will even the playing field far more than an SP boost. While character skills make it easier to fight, player skills are what determines who wins, even in 2 ships fit exactly alike.

And the difference between high SP characters and Low SP characters isn't age as much as it is who kept their account active and their skills rolling.... I have a 2008 character in my corp who hasn't even broken the 1mill sp mark...

Clone costs.

And an idea like this would be abused to make a whole lot of significantly more potent gank alts.

There's one point on which i'd like to meditate a bit, because indeed it's frustrating : Your example of a guy training for months on a hauling (or mining or whatever) char to finally realize that it's not what he/she likes, and who has certainly discovered in the meantime something more fun to do in EVE. I can imagine that we lose players because of that. So much time, money and efforts to restart almost from nothing in order to have fun (because at the end the goal of a game is to have fun).
We could think about a SP remap system. Something which would cost a lot to activate, with big restrictions (like you lose enough SP to want to use it only as a desesperate solution). So the former hauler could sacrify his ancient profession to get at least a small capital in a new vocation... something which would help the player to stay and be motivated again.
Just an idea.

The only thing that makes you better in PvP is PvP experience, not skillpoints.

Start PvP early when your clones are cheap.